I watched his face.
The play of emotions twisted his features into a grotesque mask as he tried to grasp what was happening. His face seemed to melt as he showed disbelief, then shock, anger, and hatred.
Never a good card player, I hoped my face wasn’t as animated. For weeks before his trial, I practiced in a glass, holding tight to a façade of nonchalance when I wanted to cry out from the roof tops. No one could see my inner turmoil, nor know my role in his undoing.
I stood behind a pillar in the church chancery, listening as barristers presented evidence. Under the sheer weight of proof, he was unable to refute the allegations. The case against him ironclad, the magistrate’s justice was swift. He couldn’t evade responsibility this time, couldn’t manipulate the outcome to his benefit at the expense of others.
The tide of public sentiment turned against him, and they clamored for an exhibition. There hadn’t been a hanging for far too long, and the people were bored. What better than to see someone who stood on such a high pedestal come crashing down, his neck snapped by the hangman’s noose.
When his time to swing comes, I’ll be in the front row where he can see me, the cruelty he inflicted clear on my face. He will know his lies returned to him, and he alone will realize that I am the one who delivered him to the gallows.
He should be proud of all I accomplished. I did learn from a master.
Thin spiral notebook 
Thought provoking – great piece. Marie.
LikeLike
I loved the aspect that this was all being played out for a bored citizenry by a seemingly manipulative underling…. fun story
LikeLike
Oooo. I want to know more! I do hope you expand this. You can’t leave us. . .erm. . .hanging. 🙂 Thanks for linking up. Make sure you come back and vote at the end.
LikeLike
I’d love to know the backstory here; there’s a deliciously nasty satisfaction to the ending, and it makes me wonder whether it’s really justified. Great work!
LikeLike
I may expand this story in the future. I think I could have fun with these characters.
LikeLike
Excellent post! I enjoyed reading as you peeled the layers off!
LikeLike
I like how your started it with a short, punchy, powerful sentence. Very Papa Hemingway of you. My reaction is the same as Cobbie’s. well done, you.
LikeLike
Really enjoyed this. Nice build up, great execution.
No pun intended 😉
LikeLike
Nicely done!
-Alicia Audrey
LikeLike
Twist! I like it. Nicely done. 🙂
LikeLike
Live by the sword, die by the sword. I wouldn’t be so smug if I was that apprentice. Having said that, very impressed with how you revealed your details, layer by layer, until we had a better idea of the apprentice’s thoughts at the end. Nice writing, as usual.
LikeLike